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Bearcats Look To Get Back On Track Against Wright State

Bearcats Look To Get Back On Track Against Wright StateBearcats Look To Get Back On Track Against Wright State

March 28, 2007

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SETTING THE SCENE: For the first time in 10 seasons, Cincinnati and Wright State will meet on the diamond when the Bearcats and Raiders clash tonight at Marge Schott Stadium. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. UC will try to reverse a recent cold stretch that has seen the Bearcats drop four of their last five contests to set the squad's record at 12-11. After a loss to Bowling Green on Tuesday, Wright State enters the contest with a 10-8 record.

NOTING THE BEARCATS:

  • The key to the Bearcats' offensive success this season has been the stolen base as UC is tied for first in the BIG EAST with 68 thefts. The mark is the most by a Cincinnati team since the 2001 team finished with 85 stolen bases. The Bearcats are on pace to set a school record for steals in a season, with the current mark at 119.
  • Junior speedster Tony Campana already ranks second in UC single season history with 32 stolen bases. Campana, who earlier this year set the single game record with six, needs just four more swipes to break Ken Schneider's mark of 35 set in 1991.
  • A recent power surge (10 home runs in last six games) has pushed the Bearcats to number one in the BIG EAST in homers.
  • The Bearcat pitching has been anchored by sophomore starters Steve Blevins and Dan Osterbrock. The duo holds a combined 7-4 record and a 2.98 ERA.
  • Since returning from a wrist injury earlier this month, freshman Michael Earley has batted .333 with five home runs and 11 RBI in 15 games.

NOTING THE RAIDERS:

  • After winning two of three over the weekend against Cleveland State, Wright State dropped an 11-1 decision to Bowling Green on Tuesday. The defeat leaves the Raiders' record at 10-8.
  • Senior INF Ross Oeder leads the Horizon League with a .465 batting average. Oeder, the MVP of last season's Horizon League Tournament has added eight doubles, three triples, three home runs and 11 RBI, along with nine stolen bases.
  • Freshman LHP Jordan Wolfe is slated to make his first start of the year againt the Bearcats. Wolfe holds a 1-0 record and a 18.00 ERA this season in four appearances.
  • Sophomore 1B Jeremy Hamilton was a high school teammate of current Bearcat Josh Harrison at Princeton High School. He leads the Raiders with 19 RBI.

LONG BALL SUCCESS?: With 10 home runs in the past six games, the Bearcats have vaulted to the top of the BIG EAST leaderboard with 22 longballs. The home runs have thus far not transferred to wins, as UC is just 7-6 this season in games where it hits a homer. Surprisingly, UC's biggest power threat has been one of its smaller players as 5'7" Josh Harrison is tied for the league lead with seven blasts. Freshman Michael Earley and senior Neall French are tied for fourth in the league with five long balls apiece. The Bearcats four homers at Pittsburgh on March 24 were the most in a single game by UC since May 22, 2005 against UAB.

OFF AND RUNNING: The Bearcats' running game has quickly evolved into one of the team's biggest weapons and is on track to be one of the best efforts in school history. In 23 games this year, the Bearcats have swiped 68 bags, already more than any UC team since 2001. Tony Campana has been the catalyst as he already ranks second on the UC single-season list with 32 thefts. Seven times this year, Campana has swiped multiple bags in a game including a school-record six in the second half of a doubleheader at North Carolina A&T on Feb. 24, topping Ken Schneider's previous high of five set in 1991. If the Bearcats stick to their current pace, they will shatter the school record of 119 thefts established in 1992. Campana is second in the BIG EAST in steals and is joined in double figures by Josh Harrison (13) and Adam Yeager (13), who are tied for fourth. The total for each player represents a career-high for each.

MILESTONE VICTORY: The Bearcats' victory over Chicago State on March 18 was a special one for UC head coach Brian Cleary as it marked the 250th triumph of his coaching career. Cleary ranks second in school history in coaching wins with 251, trailing only the legendary Glenn Sample who amassed 391 victories.

ROTATION MAINSTAYS: The Bearcats' starting pitching has excelled this season thanks to the play of sophomores Steve Blevins and Dan Osterbrock. The pair ranks two-three in the BIG EAST in strikeouts and have each won a BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week award. The duo has now been joined by classmate Michael Hill in the rotation. A closer look at each player's contributions this year:

  • After being victimized by a lack of run support early in the season, Blevins has won four straight outings after starting the year 0-3. He had his best outing on March 9 vs. Cleveland State, hurling eight shutout innings with five strikeouts. Blevins has excelled in the walk-to-strikeout ratio with just 10 free passes and 37 K's in 46 innings of work. His ERA stands at 3.13. After yielding 14 home runs last season, Blevins allowed his first of the year on March 24 at Pittsburgh in his 40th inning of the season.
  • Osterbrock has surrendered just four earned runs in his last 33.1 innings of work and has won three of his last five starts. The lefty holds a 3-1 record and ranks 11th among BIG EAST starting pitchers with a 2.81 ERA. His best outing came with a three-hit shutout of Dartmouth on March 3. With 33 strikeouts, Osterbrock is just five shy of his total from all of last season.
  • After using a variety of hurlers in the No. 3 spot in the rotation, Hill has now assumed the slot. Hill has been impressive this year with three wins and 28 strikeouts, while holding opponents to a .243 average. His start against Chicago State on March 18 was a good one as he fanned nine in just five innings of work.

BULLPEN LOCKDOWN: The Bearcats have enjoyed solid performances from the bullpen, with a returning ace, a newcomer and a surprising returnee leading the way. Recently, two other hurlers have also joined the fray.

  • Junior A.J. Upton, a candidate for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award shrugged off allowing a walk-off homer at Florida Atlantic with scoreless outings in three of his last four appearances. Despite a tough outing at Kentucky on March 7, Upton is still limiting opponents to a .190 batting average this season.
  • Junior Billy Welsh has gotten his short stay off to a fine start, holding opponents to three runs in 18.2 innings (1.45 ERA) over seven appearances. The righty got his first win at UC with 2.2 innings of relief against Cleveland State and he is tied for third in the BIG EAST with three saves. Opponents are hitting just .134 against him.
  • Junior southpaw Adam Calez has come on strong of late, holding opponents to just one unearned run in 11.0 innings, spanning seven appearances. Calez has 16 strikeouts this season, while limiting opponents to an .057 batting average.
  • Sophomore Jake Geglein and Evan Sanford have also performed well in recent weeks. Geglein had yielded just one run in 4.2 innings over three outings, while striking out eight. Sanford hasn't allowed a run in his last 2.2 innings, striking out six during the span.

HARRISON BACK AT IT: Josh Harrison has picked up where he left off last year in 2007, hitting .310 and ranking among the BIG EAST leaders in home runs (seven, T-1st) and RBI (30, 2nd). At Austin Peay on Feb. 18, Harrison saw his career-best 18-game hit streak come to an end, but he bounced back with his fourth long ball one day later. In the 81 games making up his UC career, Harrison has failed to gather a hit in just 13 contests. The sophomore has shown his blend of speed and power this year, adding 13 stolen bases to his home run total. Harrison had the biggest game as a Bearcat on March 24 at Pittsburgh, homering twice in a game for the first time and tying a school record with eight RBI.

OUTFIELD IN GOOD HANDS: With LaFringe Hayes gone to graduation and Josh Harrison moved to the infield, UC entered the season needing someone to step up in the outfield. The additions of Tony Campana and Cameron Satterwhite have more than filled the holes.

  • Campana has been a sparkplug at the top of the line-up, swiping 32 bases and hitting a team-best .333. Campana had a career-best 18-game hit streak snapped on Sunday but he still has gathered at least one hit in all but three of UC's 23 games this season.
  • Satterwhite is off to a good start tying for fifth in the BIG EAST with eight doubles. On the strength of a recent career-best 10-game hit streak, Satterwhite has raised his average to .300. On March 10, the sophomore hit a game-winning two-run homer to beat Cleveland State and added another blast on March 24 at Pittsburgh.

A MUCH NEEDED LIFT: With Logan Parker's big bat lost in the middle of the line up, seniors Neall French and Brian Szarmach and freshman Michael Earley have stepped up to fill the hole:

  • French has been hot of late, hitting safely in 11 of his last 16 games at a .346 clip (18-for-52). His power numbers have been up as he has hit five doubles and five home runs and driven in 20 during the span. He is ranked fourth among BIG EAST players with 24 RBI. French had his best day as a Bearcat at Kentucky on March 7, with a career-best six RBI, courtesy of a pair of three-run homers.
  • Szarmach is hitting a career-high .314 and is tied for sixth in the BIG EAST with 20 RBI. He has added six doubles, a triple and three home runs, including a solo shot on March 18 vs. Chicago State.
  • Since returning from a wrist injury earlier this month, Earley has batted .333 with five home runs and 11 RBI in 15 games.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME: In its two-plus seasons of existence, Marge Schott Stadium has provided a solid home field advantage for the Bearcats. Since its opening, the Bearcats hold a 47-26 (.644) record at home. As was the case last season, the Bearcats' team numbers have been better at home than on the road. Both UC's team batting average (.296 to .258) and ERA (2.41 to 5.83) are significantly better at Marge Schott Stadium.